Imparja switches sales operation from WIN to SCA
Indigenous broadcaster Imparja is to move its sales function from WIN to Southern Cross Austereo in what is just the latest shake-up in the regional TV market.
Imparja, is an indigenous-owned regional broadcaster that broadcasts Nine’s content to remote areas, and had been using WIN to service national clients but will now switch over to SCA in what appears to be further sign of the deterioration of the relationship between Nine and WIN.
The former affiliates, Nine and WIN, have long been partners but in recent months the relationship has unravelled with WIN taking Nine to court over 9Now and live-streaming – a case WIN lost, which led to a complete redrawing of regional TV’s borders and Nine and SCA signing an affiliate deal in April, with WIN and Ten subsequently signing their own deal.
Imparja CEO, Alistair Feehan, told The Australian that because of the new Nine and SCA affiliate deal the broadcaster felt it had to switch: “WIN did a fantastic job for us over an extended period of time and helped our business but, unfortunately, due to the new affiliate arrangement we need to go where the Nine content is being sold.”
The change-over comes as Nine and SCA continue to negotiate with WIN over the changeover of various regional markets amid concerns that if a deal is not reached some key regional markets, such as Tasmania, may lose signal.
Among the markets that need to be finalised by June 30 are regional Western Australia, Riverland/Mount Gambier, Mildura and Griffith, as well as Tasmania.
Both WIN and SCA confirmed the Imparja sales change but declined to comment further.
Yesterday, it emerged that Bermuda-based billionaire Bruce Gordon, who owns WIN, has increased his stake in Network Ten just days ahead of the switchover of his WIN stations to Ten.
Gordon is using a complex derivatives arrangement with the Deutsche Bank, where the bank holds shares on his behalf, in a cash-settled shares swap, to hold the shares ahead of potential media reforms in the wake of the upcoming Federal election.
